Don't Speak
by Y2Jen
Summary: Chris and Steph, used to be together, everyday together, always... Not a song fic, just inspired by the 'No Doubt' song. And don't you smoochy ficers think this is gonna be one of those, happy endings...! Just a short one shot, R&R PLEASE!


Chris Jericho sat in the darkness of his hotel room, the lights were off, and it was night. The only light in the room came from the lamps outside the window in the streets. Chris looked a wreck and he felt as messed up as he looked. His clothes were wrinkled and unwashed, his hair was ratty and un-brushed, his face wore a shadow that went well after five o'clock. He sat on the edge of his bed, guitar in hand, head hung low as he played the two chords, over and over and over again.

Stephanie McMahon lay on her bed in her hotel room. She stared at the ceiling, just stared and stared with unblinking eyes. Her face was tired, her make up was faded and her hair was in a tangled mess of a ponytail. She turned away and started at the wall as she turned off the light. She held herself in a close cuddle as she buried her face in her pillow, sobbing quietly, yearning for him, but wanting to be alone.

Chris finally lifted his head, his sad blue teary eyes reflecting the starlight outside as he looked out the window, continuing to play the two notes, his throat tensed shut but he managed to choke out the name….

"Stephanie…."

And so here's the deal… Steph and Chris, used to be together. Every day, together always.

Stephanie had left her longtime husband of Triple H just to be with him, just so they could go out, on real dates, and be more than just really close good friends. But what bloomed from best friendship into love was all thrown away by a backstabbing heartbreak when Stephanie found Chris in his hotel room with none other than his ex-fiance Trish Stratus.

Stephanie shook her head, trying to clear the images of her past out of her mind. She choked on her tears, she couldn't take it. She really felt like she was losing her best friend.

"I just cant…" Stephanie looked at the picture of Chris and herself on their first date at a carnival where he had won her a teddy bear. "I can't believe, this could be the end." She turned away with a painful heart-sinking sigh.

"This has to be a dream, a bad dream." Chris looked up from his guitar, continuing to play the two notes over and over again, his fingers positioned firmly on the chords of the guitar. "But it's real, I've fallen and we let go. But I just can't accept it. I don't want to. If this were a dream, all just a dream, I just wanna wake up…" He looked up and yelled, tears falling from his eyes. "And never fall asleep into it again!"

Stephanie went to the window and looked outside into the dark night sky lit up by the city skylines. She didn't want to think about it anymore. It just all hurt too much. She didn't even want to bring herself to talk about it. If only he knew what she was thinking, he'd know how much she hurt.

Chris began to flash back as he played the guitar on and on. He remembered when it all happened. He was in the locker room after working out in the gym. Stephanie burst in, looking more glamorous than he'd ever seen her.

"It's final, the divorce with my husband." She giggled and Chris's eyes went wide.

"So does that mean, finally…"

"Mhm, I'm all yours, and… you're all mine." And then and there they had their first kiss. It was so warm, so natural, both of their mouths just felt so inviting to each other's tongues as they used them to box each others uvulas playfully.

But some memories are just too frightening to remember, like when Trish Stratus had come to Chris's hotel room to talk. They were like best friends, they'd known each other for a long time and could always go to each other for advice. But if Chris could take it back, take it all back, far enough as to have never even met Trish as a child long ago, he could take it all away just to be with Stephanie again, just for one last day…

"I saw you and me…" Stephanie swallowed hard as she dried her face in the bathroom. She looked in the mirror, "I saw us grow old and die together. Holding each other's hands. Being there forever. And now you and I aren't even in the same bed, and just the thought of that one simple thing…." Her eyes welled up again. "Is enough to make me cry."

"No." Chris shook his head. He couldn't speak, his voice wasn't that of his own. The pain in his soul had made it so unrecognizable. It just all hurt too much to be real. He knew in the back of his mind it was true, but he silenced it out, blocking out the thoughts of his own conscious. He didn't want to hear it, he didn't because it hurt.

"All the times of you and I, they've faded and all gone away." She balled up her fist angrily.

She didn't know why, she just couldn't explain it. She found her feet taking her out the door. She walked and walked and walked some more, reaching the end of the hall. She just didn't know how to explain it. If this were the end, really truly the end, she just had to see him one last time.

"I just want you to know, that I'll never let it go..." Chris shut his eyes tightly.

He didn't know what was happening, his guitar was gone from his hands, he wasn't even in his hotel room. He was walking towards the elevator. He had to stop pretending. Inside he was dying, but he knew somewhere in that hotel, Stephanie was crying. And then…

Ding.

"Chris." Stephanie gasped.

Chris drew back, his bangs falling in front of his eyes, "Stephanie."

A long pause…. Chris stared at Stephanie, Stephanie stared at Chris. Their hearts were leaping and thudding against their chests, the only movement was their blinking eyes for even time seemed to stand still. Chris could still hear his guitar inside his head.

He cleared his throat, "Ah, Stephanie…?"

"Sh." Stephanie smiled and took a step forward to place a finger on his lips… his soft, warm, inviting lips. Oh how she wanted to feel the kiss of his warm breath on her again.

Chris moaned to himself, it was painful yet wonderful. How he wanted to part his lips and hold onto that finger forever gently between his teeth, feel the long nail find its way scrape gently down to the back of his tongue and never let her go. To just open wide and swallow her whole, to keep her inside, inside his body, inside his soul, inside his heart. She was his life! The memories came back as he closed his eyes slowly to blink.

"Don't speak." Stephanie's soft voice whispered and seemed to ease the dagger stabbing in Chris's heart.

"Stephanie." The word burst out from his lungs, he wanted to explain everything, summing up a thousand words all down into just one.

"I know what you're going to say, and…" She shook her head and looked away. "Just don't explain your reasons."

"But Steph, I…"

"Don't tell me, it hurts." She closed her eyes and Chris was quiet. "Don't speak, I know what you're thinking…."

"Then Stephy…"

"Don't!" She looked up angrily, shocking Chris as she backed the meek Canadian up against the wall. "Don't speak! Don't speak! Don't speak!" Stephanie shook her head viciously. Chris opened his mouth but Stephanie continued to let her emotions flow, "Don't, don't, don't!"

"Steph…!"

"NO!" She turned fiery and Chris swallowed hard, but the dry lump just continued to grow as Stephanie loomed. "It's over Chris, I don't care anymore! It just hurt to bad!"

"But Steph…!"

"I don't need you to explain, I know exactly what you're thinking so don't reason with me. If it were a mistake, and we got together, something would just happen again. And my love for you is strong, but my heart is not strong enough to take the pain again."

"Steph, I…!" Chris's eyes welled.

"Good bye Christopher!" She turned and stormed off down the hall.

"Uh…. Steph…." Chris's whole body seemed to go numb as he collapsed to his knees. He put his hands gripping on the floor. His whole body was sweating, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak, his heart was tearing in half. Finally he looked up, his hand gripping at his chest, at his painful dying heart. The guitar chords in his mind had all gone and Stephanie was no longer there. "Stephanie…" Chris swallowed hard, trying to get air into his lungs. He felt like he was dying, like his heart was attacking in painful vengeance. "You can't… you just don't, understand… why Steph…" He blurted out sobs. "It didn't mean… I thought…" He used all of his conscious strength to look up down the empty hall and yell, "You can't just leave me here all alone, I love you….!" And with a choking sob, then his world went black….


End file.
